Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas.
ProviderāLevel Variation in Smoking Cessation Assistance Provided in the Cardiology Clinics: Insights from the NCDR PINNACLE Registry
Presents a study on the variation in smoking cessation assistance programs across the U.S. Highlights the prevalence of these programs in primary care settings and details the data by patient characteristics, census region, and urbanity.
Author(s): Mayank Sardana, Yuanyuan Tang, Jared W. Magnani, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(13)
Date: 07/2019
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Presents a study on the variation in smoking cessation assistance programs across the U.S. Highlights the prevalence of these programs in primary care settings and details the data by patient characteristics, census region, and urbanity.
Author(s): Mayank Sardana, Yuanyuan Tang, Jared W. Magnani, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(13)
Date: 07/2019
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E-Cigarette Minimum Legal Sale Age Laws and Traditional Cigarette Use among Rural Pregnant Teenagers
Uses 2010-2016 data from 32 states to explore how minimum legal sale age laws for e-cigarettes affects cigarette use among pregnant teenagers in rural areas. Provides data and statistics on smoking before and during pregnancy, underage teen births, and birth outcomes. Includes rural/urban comparisons.
Author(s): Michael Pesko, Janet Currie
Citation: Journal of Health Economics, 66, 71-90
Date: 07/2019
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Uses 2010-2016 data from 32 states to explore how minimum legal sale age laws for e-cigarettes affects cigarette use among pregnant teenagers in rural areas. Provides data and statistics on smoking before and during pregnancy, underage teen births, and birth outcomes. Includes rural/urban comparisons.
Author(s): Michael Pesko, Janet Currie
Citation: Journal of Health Economics, 66, 71-90
Date: 07/2019
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Local Health Department Approaches to Opioid Use Prevention and Response: An Environmental Scan
Summarizes the results of an environmental scan of 198 local health departments (LHDs) regarding their local opioid overdose prevention and response activities. Reports and compares statistics by governance and the size of the population the LHD serves. Discusses efforts and activities related to workforce, clinical and programmatic services, policy, communication, partnership, and data collection. Includes LHD stories from the field.
Author(s): Kamya Raja, Francis Higgins
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Summarizes the results of an environmental scan of 198 local health departments (LHDs) regarding their local opioid overdose prevention and response activities. Reports and compares statistics by governance and the size of the population the LHD serves. Discusses efforts and activities related to workforce, clinical and programmatic services, policy, communication, partnership, and data collection. Includes LHD stories from the field.
Author(s): Kamya Raja, Francis Higgins
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Team-Based Clinic Redesign of Opioid Medication Management in Primary Care: Effect on Opioid Prescribing
Study examines an opioid medication management redesign in 20 rural primary care clinics. Looks at daily opioid usage rates of long-term opioid therapy patients before and after the redesign.
Author(s): Michael L. Parchman, Robert B. Penfold, Brooke Ike, et al.
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 17(4), 319-325
Date: 07/2019
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Study examines an opioid medication management redesign in 20 rural primary care clinics. Looks at daily opioid usage rates of long-term opioid therapy patients before and after the redesign.
Author(s): Michael L. Parchman, Robert B. Penfold, Brooke Ike, et al.
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 17(4), 319-325
Date: 07/2019
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Guidance to States and School Systems on Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use Issues in Schools
Report provides guidance to school systems and state governments about mental health and substance use in schools. Highlights examples of methods to identify and address mental health issues and substance use in schools. Discusses state-level Medicaid funding for behavioral health.
Author(s): Elinore McCance-Katz, Calder Lynch
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Report provides guidance to school systems and state governments about mental health and substance use in schools. Highlights examples of methods to identify and address mental health issues and substance use in schools. Discusses state-level Medicaid funding for behavioral health.
Author(s): Elinore McCance-Katz, Calder Lynch
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Tailoring Crisis Response and Pre-arrest Diversion Models for Rural Communities
Outlines a guide for rural communities to develop crisis response and pre-arrest diversion programs for people with mental health or substance use disorders. Discusses the use of technology to connect law enforcement with behavioral health programs, as well as building off of current programs to address the specific needs of the community.
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Outlines a guide for rural communities to develop crisis response and pre-arrest diversion programs for people with mental health or substance use disorders. Discusses the use of technology to connect law enforcement with behavioral health programs, as well as building off of current programs to address the specific needs of the community.
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Collaborative Models for Medication-Assisted Treatment: Key Elements of Vermont's Hub-and Spoke System
Describes the collaborative effort of 3 health-related organizations who partnered to develop and implement a medication assisted therapy (MAT) treatment practice using the hub and spoke model. This system was supported through a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Home State Plan amendment for Vermont, a mostly rural state, to modify their current MAT services to increase access to addiction treatment, integrate health and addictions care, improve health outcomes, and promote recovery.
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP)
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Describes the collaborative effort of 3 health-related organizations who partnered to develop and implement a medication assisted therapy (MAT) treatment practice using the hub and spoke model. This system was supported through a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Home State Plan amendment for Vermont, a mostly rural state, to modify their current MAT services to increase access to addiction treatment, integrate health and addictions care, improve health outcomes, and promote recovery.
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP)
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Cigarette Smoking Rates among Veterans: Association with Rurality and Psychiatric Disorders
Details a study on rates of smoking among Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans in rural and urban areas. Looks at co-occurring mental health disorders and presents data by demographic factors, such as sex, ethnicity, and employment, among others.
Author(s): Lara N. Coughlin, Sarah M. Wilson, Meredith C. Erwin, et al.
Citation: Addictive Behaviors, 90, 119-123
Date: 03/2019
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Details a study on rates of smoking among Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans in rural and urban areas. Looks at co-occurring mental health disorders and presents data by demographic factors, such as sex, ethnicity, and employment, among others.
Author(s): Lara N. Coughlin, Sarah M. Wilson, Meredith C. Erwin, et al.
Citation: Addictive Behaviors, 90, 119-123
Date: 03/2019
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Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Save Lives
Reports on the findings from an expert committee regarding the evidence behind using medications to treat opioid use disorder, as well as issues with accessing medication-based treatment. Chapter 3 includes a section focusing on rural populations and chapter 5 addresses rural/urban differences in the number of healthcare providers waivered to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid-use disorder.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Reports on the findings from an expert committee regarding the evidence behind using medications to treat opioid use disorder, as well as issues with accessing medication-based treatment. Chapter 3 includes a section focusing on rural populations and chapter 5 addresses rural/urban differences in the number of healthcare providers waivered to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid-use disorder.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Peer Support Specialists Care for and Connect Rural Behavioral Health Clients
Discusses peer support specialists, trained laypeople in recovery with a mental health condition or substance use disorder, and describes the roles they play as mentors and coordinators for clients with similar behavioral health issues. Features peer support specialist programs in rural Arizona, Michigan, and North Dakota.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses peer support specialists, trained laypeople in recovery with a mental health condition or substance use disorder, and describes the roles they play as mentors and coordinators for clients with similar behavioral health issues. Features peer support specialist programs in rural Arizona, Michigan, and North Dakota.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Alcohol use
- Behavioral health
- Behavioral health workforce
- Illicit drug use
- Prescription drug misuse
- Substance use and misuse
- Tobacco use
Last Updated: 12/16/2025

